API Security
Protect APIs Built for Automation From the Automation That Abuses Them
An API's traffic is automated by design, which means the usual instinct — block bots — doesn't apply. Abuse has to be distinguished from the legitimate automated use an API exists to serve.
Signal: bot
Challenge automated behavior
Why the usual approach falls short
Traditional web application firewalls inspect for known attack signatures. They don't catch business-logic abuse, like scraping an API at a volume or pattern no legitimate integration would use.
The MaskFlare approach
MaskFlare Radar applies behavioral and device-fingerprint-based risk scoring to API endpoints specifically, distinguishing abusive automation from the automation the API is built for.
Benefits
Covers business-logic abuse
Detection goes beyond known attack signatures to volume and pattern-based abuse.
Per-endpoint policy
Different endpoints can carry different risk policies based on what they expose.
No SDK required for basic protection
Network-layer scoring covers APIs without requiring code changes to get started.
Built on
Understand the underlying risks
Frequently asked questions
Does this require instrumenting our API code?
Basic protection works at the network layer with no code changes; an SDK is available for endpoints that benefit from deeper request context.
How is this different from a traditional web application firewall (WAF)?
A WAF inspects for known attack signatures. This looks at volume and pattern-based abuse of an API's own business logic — a valid-looking request used far more, or in a different pattern, than any real integration would.
Can different API endpoints carry different risk policies?
Yes — different endpoints can carry different risk policies based on what they expose, rather than one uniform rule for the whole API.
Will this block the automated traffic our API is actually built to serve?
No — the point is distinguishing abusive automation from the legitimate automated use the API exists to serve, not blocking automation generally.
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Tell us what your team needs to protect.
Let's explore where MaskFlare could fit.